Herb Drury

There was a time when the United States Hockey Hall of Fame would induct just about any American who knew how to skate and knew what a hockey puck was.

So it has always surprised me that they never inducted 1924 American Olympic star Herb Drury.

The reason may be because Drury was born in Midland, Ontario, Canada. Yep, he was born in Canada and a lot historians consider him to be a Canadian. But he was more like Brett Hull in that yes he was born and trained in Canada, but embraced his adopted country of the United States.

At age of 21 Drury relocated south to play with the Pittsburgh Yellowjackets in the USAHA. His hockey career was put on hold as he served in the American military during World War I. But he would return to Pittsburgh to play with the Yellowjackets and later the NHL's Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Quakers.

Though he played over 200 games in the NHL it was as an Olympian that Herb Drury is best remembered. He played in both the 1920 and 1924 Olympics, representing USA both times. He was the driving force behind the Americans' silver medal in 1924, thanks to 22 goals in 5 games!

Herb's brother Morley Drury was an outsanding college football player for the University of Southern California, who appeared in the Rose Bowl and has been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.